Patron General Peter Gration AC OBE

Chair Len Goodman AO, lgoodman@ozemail.com.au, 6258 1598 (h) 0409 442 345 (m)

Secretary Bruce Trewartha OAM, btrewartha@actewagl.net.au, 6231 0281 (h) 6265 1848 (w) 0439 887 480 (m) GPO Box 423 Canberra City ACT 2601

Treasurer Brian Acworth AM

Committee Trish Keller OAM, Andrew Lu OAM, Evol McLeod OAM, Ian Meikle AM, Derek Robson AM, Caroline Turner AM

Immediate past chair Liz Scrivener OAM

Co-opted member: Ray Newcombe OAM (Student Citizenship Awards)

EMAIL ALERTS Your committee can keep you briefed faster (and cheaper) if we have an email address. We understand perfectly the ongoing need for a paper-based newsletter, however we can save valuable funds, resources and time talking directly to you via the net. Please register with Bruce Trewartha OAM at btrewartha@actewagl.net.au.

Newsletter teamEditor, Ian Meikle AM.Designer, Joran Dilucian.This edition was produced through the resources of “CityNews”.

OAAACTNEWSLETTER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION ACT BRANCH

MAY 2010

THE newly announced director of the Museum of Australia, Andrew Sayers, will be our guest speaker at the annual Queen’s Birthday luncheon on

Wednesday, June 16, at The Boathouse on the Lake restaurant.Mr Sayers, who takes up his new position on June 1, is currently the director of the highly successful National Portrait Gal-lery. He has been in this position since 1998.His topic will be “Australians past and present in our national institutions”.“Australia’s galleries, libraries and muse-ums are full of material relating to the lives and achievements of Australians,” he says.“Taking some of these stories, the talk will show how the collections of our na-tional institutions preserve and illuminate the lives of people who have shaped our nation.”After studying at the University of Syd-ney, he began his career at the Art Gal-lery of NSW before moving to Newcastle Region Art Gallery as assistant director. He came to the National Portrait Gallery from assistant director (collections) at the National Gallery of Australia.Andrew has been responsible for several exhibitions of Australian art, particularly in the areas of drawing and portraiture.He has written extensively and is the author of “Aboriginal Artists of the Nineteenth Century” (Oxford University

Press 1994) and “Oxford History of Art: Australian Art” (Oxford University Press, 2001).Given his outstanding success in estab-lishing the Portrait Gallery and in antici-pation of his move to the museum, we anticipate wide interest in his address. Early bookings by members and their guests are recommended.

There is a booking form attached/enclosed.

Andrew Sayers... “The talk will show how the collections of our national institutions pre-serve and illuminate the lives of people who have shaped our nation.”

Sayers to speakat June lunch

COME AND TAKE A PEEP...... page 4.

OAA - MAY 2010 - 2

NEWSLETTER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION ACT BRANCH

New recipients, from left, John McMillan AO; Dorothy Sales AM; Prof Roger Wettenhall AM; Diane Kargas AM; John Woodfield OAM; John O’Neill OAM; Branch chairman Len Goodman AO; Brig Ian Errington AM (Mil) CSC; Clive Mitchell-Taylor OAM; Dr Jeff Harmer AO; Aleksander Gancarz OAM.

June and John Woodfield with Glen Barclay.

Barbara Silinis with Russell and Helen Bielenberg.Andrea McCourtie, Malcolm Beazley.

Christopher Long, Julie Long and Rhodanthe Lipsett. Diane Kargas, Adrian Bray, Dorothy Sales and Joan Post.

AT THE COCKTAIL RECEPTION TO WELCOME NEW RECIPIENTS

OAA - MAY 2010 - 3

NEWSLETTER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION ACT BRANCH

HOW well do you recall and value the moment of your Government House investi-ture?At once the culmination of

the nation’s recognition of service and the opportunity to share the occasion with fam-ily who doubtless had partnered you through the journey.It was therefore a privilege to represent the Branch at the Investitures of Australia Day recipients – accompanied by Joyce on April 15 before the Governor General and by our newsletter editor Ian Meikle AM the follow-ing day before the Administrator.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 36 new recipients, 11 of whom attended our reception at on April 29. In acknowledging them, I reminded all present of our As-sociation pledge: “To foster love and pride in Australian citizenship and to uphold the high principles and prestige of the Order of Australia”. May we be exemplars and en-courage others to serve – especially young Australians. Dr Jeff Harmer AO responded and gave a brief account of his early life and career lead-ing to his current position as Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing and Com-munity Services and Indigenous Affairs.

WE were delighted at the response and feedback by members who attended our “new style” morning tea at the National Library of Australia on March 31, where we were treated to a talk by assistant director Helen Kon and a behind-the-scenes tour of the library.Several attendees commented “more of these, please” – so we are pleased to oblige with a special visit to the Canberra Museum and Gallery on Thursday, May 27 at 9.30am. We will be viewing the “Tomorrow Today: Innovation and Change in 1960s Canberra” exhibition with a guided tour by curator Kathryn Chisholm. There’s a story in the the newsletter and a booking form.

THE newly appointed director of the Mu-seum of Australia Andrew Sayers (currently director of the National Portrait Gallery) will speak at the annual Queen’s Birthday luncheon on Wednesday, June 16, at The Boathouse on the Lake restaurant.Early bookings by members and their guests

are recommended. We have also invited members of the Order of the British Empire to join us. There is a booking form attached/enclosed.

THE Duntroon Chapel of St Paul is the venue for the Branch’s Multi-Faith Observance at 2.30pm on Sunday, August 15. This year sees a return to the Anglican Chapel and a link with the Australian Bravery Association, with the service being led by its honorary chaplain, the Venerable Dr Royce Thompson, in company with representatives of other faiths. Air Commodore (Ret’d) Royce is also a former principal RAAF chaplain.There will be more details in our next newsletter.

DATES: Please consider logging these events in your diary including our second recep-tion for new recipients (of Queen’s Birthday Honours) scheduled for Tuesday, September 28, 6.pm-7.30pm. Full details, including the venue, will be in a later edition of the newsletter.

STANDBY, please: Wish I could say more about a one off special event in November. Your committee has a “report” but has yet to formulate “policy” preceding an “announce-ment”! But it’ll be a big one.

THIS year’s ACT Student Citizenship Awards 2010 will be launched on May 11 at the Legislative Assembly by Education Minister Andrew Barr. Submissions will be invited from ACT Government and non-government

schools in two categories to encourage and recognise the wide variety of community service contributions through ACT Schools – by individuals and groups.The winners will be announced in Novem-ber and the independent judging panel comprises Prof Brian O’Keeffe AO, Maj-Gen Steve Gower AO AO (Mil) (Ret’d) and Mrs Narelle Hargreaves OAM.Committee members Dr Ray Newcombe OAM and Trish Keller OAM are again this year guiding the initiative.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Committee member Evol McLeod OAM is convenor of the Branch’s functions committee, a new innovation this year. A big thank you to Evol for arranging the recent successful morning tea and recipients’ reception and plans for the June luncheon. Dr Caroline Turner AM has carriage of the CMAG event.

AND, finally a sincere thank you to members who have agreed to receive the Newsletter and notices via email. It assists dramatically in maintaining more regular, cost-effective, faster contact. Our secretary Bruce Trewatha is always keen to hear from others willing to join the email list.

Len Goodman AO,chairman

National Library of Australia assistant director Helen Kon leads members through a behind-the-scenes tour of the library at the “new-style” morning tea.

Chairman LEN GOODMAN previews the coming months’ many and varied activities for Branch members...

Remember that special moment?

OAA - MAY 2010 - 4

NEWSLETTER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION ACT BRANCH

NOMINATIONS are now be-ing accepted from Territory students and schools for the branch’s ACT Student Citizenship Awards 2010.

The annual awards are for voluntary com-munity service and demonstration of good citizenship and will be announced at a special presentation in November. They have the support of the ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr, and of the school authorities, both government and non-gov-ernment.The awards are made by The Order of Australia Association (ACT) on the recom-mendation of an independent selection panel.There are two types of award: • Awards for outstanding individual leadership and achievement by Year 11 and 12 students • Awards for meritorious group activ-ity in community service and citizenship projects for students between kindergarten and Year 10.

Individual awards are marked by an engraved medallion and a certificate and the recipient schools receive an engraved plaque to signify the group awards.Nominations are called from principals of schools and colleges by the last day of term 3.

The awards are made under the auspices of the ACT Branch, which seeks to foster love and pride in active Australian citizen-ship, most particularly in the younger members of the community. The associa-tion membership is made up of people who have received an award in the Order of Australia, but these student awards have no direct connection with the Order of Australia itself.The ACT awards were first presented last year when Radford College was recog-nised for sustained assistance to students with disability at Cranleigh School; and to Holy Family Primary School, Gowrie, for a sustained and ever-increasing support in the local community and abroad in a wide range of charitable endeavours. No individual awards were made in 2009.

Branch convenors are Dr Ray Newcombe OAM (ray@newcombe1.com.au or call 0419 953923) and Trish Keller OAM (Trish.keller@ed.act.au or call 0408 234305).

Call for citizenship award entries from students

ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr.

IN the 1960s the city underwent a metamor-phosis, from a large country town to a thriving national capital and association members and their guests are invited to revisit Canberra in the 1960s with a visit to a special event at the Canberra Museum and Gallery.In conjunction with the exhibition “Tomor-row Today: Innovation and Change in 1960s Canberra”, on May 27 we will be treated to talks by architect Enrico Taglietti; Mr Martin Gascoigne, son of artist Rosalie Gascoigne AM and astronomer S.C.B. Gascoigne AO, and CMAG acting curator of social history Kathryn Chisholm. Members are also invited to con-tribute their own memories of the era.The event starts at 9.30 am (please gather at CMAG Civic Square entrance near Civic Library) and after a short tour of the exhibition, the talks by our special guests and discussion will take place in the CMAG lecture theatre. and the event will conclude with morning tea. The cost is $10.

To book, please use the special form attached/enclosed.

Discover how the ‘60s changed Canberra

Canberra in 1960.